Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Rozelia Plains
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[Level 30 Monkey King]
[HP 1,470,000/1,470,000]
"Hmm... Hmmm...."
I was sitting on the floor in front of the Monkey King, the boss of one of the normal instance dungeons, the 'Four Divine Beasts Dungeon', clutching my head in thought.
The fact that it was just a boss in a normal instance dungeon yet had 1.4 million HP wasn't a big deal.
The stats of a Level 25 Swordsman inflated my damage by several times. Even the Swordsman skills I ranked up or newly acquired had become much more powerful to match.
The reason I was racking my brain was because of the changes to the Swordsman's skills.
It was time to establish a proper damage rotation.
[Moonlight Slash (B)]
- Unleashes a powerful 360-degree slash. (2-second cast time)
- (Instant Cast) Upon a successful Block.
- (D-Rank) Enters Sword-Drawing Stance after casting. (30-second cooldown to re-enter Sword-Drawing Stance)
- (B-Rank) Cast time reduced by 1 second.
"The time for using Moonlight Slash as my main skill in boss fights is over."
At this point, 'Moonlight Slash' was worth little more than an opener for Sword-Drawing Stance or for dealing with large groups of mobs.
The Swordsman's new primary skill was 'Starlight Slash,' an enhanced version of Moonlight Slash.
[Starlight Slash (E)]
- Unleashes a powerful slash on a single target. (250% of Moonlight Slash's damage)
- Usable in Sword-Drawing Stance.
'Starlight Slash,' a single-target skill that grew stronger based on 'Moonlight Slash's' damage multiplier.
It was no exaggeration to say that after acquiring this skill, which could only be used in Sword-Drawing Stance, the Swordsman's damage output jumped to a whole new level.
Of course, it wasn't just the Swordsman's skills that had gotten stronger.
To keep up with the stat inflation of bosses, the skills of every class in 'Astria Online' were also evolving.
So then, would a Swordsman who just maintained Sword-Drawing Stance for free DPS, without using 'Block' at all, really be that strong?
Not really.
The ranked-up 'Block' skill had also evolved.
[Block (A)]
- Blocks attacks in a 180-degree arc in front of you.
- (A-Rank) Successfully blocking within 0.2 seconds of using the skill grants the 'Vitality' buff, which increases all damage by 30% for 10 seconds.
A technique also found in fighting games. A so-called 'just guard' window.
This 'just guard' mechanic, which gave an advantage for blocking an opponent's attack with perfect timing, also existed in 'Astria Online'.
"So, I need to block an attack with perfect timing once every 10 seconds to get the buff, immediately enter Sword-Drawing Stance, and then launch Starlight Slash while dodging attacks with my movement."
I nodded.
This was the damage rotation that would allow a Swordsman to reach their maximum potential.
It didn't seem as difficult as I thought.
*Thump!*
Having finished my study session, I got up and faced the Monkey King.
*Beep.*
"Ooh-ah?"
The Monkey King, a primate boss wielding a giant club, looked at me with a puzzled expression as I entered its aggro range.
I confidently placed my hands on my hips and taunted the Monkey King.
"Hey, you! You're going to be my practice dummy for my damage rotation!"
"Ooooh-ahhhhh!"
The Monkey King, thoroughly enraged, raised its club and charged at me.
*
I defeated the boss of 'Flower-Fruit Cave' and stepped outside.
"Ah."
The sudden assault of sunlight made me squint and shield my eyes.
The rays of light seeping through my fingers stung.
A moment later, after my eyes adjusted to the brightness, an endless prairie spread out before me.
"Oh."
I stared at the scenery, my mouth agape.
'Flower-Fruit Cave,' carved into a cliff near the plains, was situated on slightly higher ground.
I'd been in this region for a while, but this was the first time I'd looked down on the plains from this vantage point.
Viewed from the high ground, the green-hued fields were so vast they seemed to have no end.
Every time a gentle breeze blew and rustled the blades of grass, it looked like a great green wave was rolling by.
This was the heart of the Astria Continent, the 'Rozelia Plains'.
It was the third stage of my adventure, following the Orc Forest and the Pames Desert region.
These vast plains were located on the border between two great empires.
And in its center lay a grand and mystical forest.
The forest, named 'Rozelia Forest,' was like the heart of the Rozelia Plains, forming a world of its own.
Ironically, that beautiful forest was now the unseen battlefield of the two empires.
"A PVP field."
I sighed.
I was sure that back when I was active on the Astria Continent, the two empires had been on good terms.
The brother nations, the 'Alpharion Empire' and the 'Betarion Empire.'
Of course, only the empires' names and the emperors' surnames were the same; I hadn't heard any names I recognized in the NPCs' conversations.
So, did the world of 'Astria Online' just borrow the setting of the Astria Continent? Or was it simply a different time period from when I was active?
Studying wasn't my thing, but I felt the need to dig through some books if a quest ever took me to the imperial capital's library or the royal castle.
More importantly, the immediate problem was the daily quest.
I grumbled as I looked at the forest before me.
"I hate PVP."
I preferred being a herbivore player.
I just wanted to play the game by running dungeons solo.
But the game's system forced me to become a pawn of the empire.
I clenched my fists and steeled my resolve.
"As a mercenary of the 'Alpharion Empire,' I have to do my best and complete the daily mana crystal gathering quest again today."
Inside 'Rozelia Forest,' which belonged to neither empire, were vast quantities of expensive 'Raw Mana Crystals.'
Neither the Alpharion Empire nor the Betarion Empire wanted a mutually destructive war, so while they didn't openly claim ownership of the forest, they secretly hired mercenaries to gather mana crystals.
Fights constantly broke out inside the forest between the hired mercenaries, but since the task was entrusted to players who weren't officially affiliated with the nations, the two empires could remain somewhat free of responsibility.
While PKing without the other party's consent in a normal field resulted in a massive penalty, there was no penalty for PKing in this forest.
It was, in every sense of the word, a 'PVP Faction Battlefield.'
Perhaps to motivate PVP-oriented players, 'Astria Online' had placed some mouth-watering rewards in its PVP fields.
The reward for the faction battlefield daily quest, 'Refined Mana Crystals,' was an item that could be applied to a weapon to increase its attack power.
It wasn't an enhancement system based on chance; if you dismantled a weapon you'd used them on, you'd get a certain amount back to use for your next weapon enhancement.
It was a weapon enhancement material that every player wanted, but the structure of the game forced you to enter a PVP field to get it.
And I didn't want to buy them from the carnivore players at an exorbitant price.
There were other herbivore players like me who just did the daily quest and scurried away.
"I hope I don't get ambushed by any carnivore players today."
Escaping wasn't difficult.
But even as a herbivore player, there were times I had to fight back.
I sighed deeply and headed for 'Rozelia Forest.'
One by one.
I smiled brightly as I picked up the glowing, pebble-sized raw mana crystals.
"Found them early today."
'Raw Mana Crystals' were spread widely throughout the forest, but if you found one, you could usually find more nearby.
I'd gathered seventeen raw mana crystals so far.
If I could just find three more around here, I'd complete my quota for the daily quest.
After that, I could leave the 'Rozelia Forest' PVP field without a second glance.
*Flinch.*
As I was smiling and picking up my eighteenth mana crystal, I felt a chill run down my spine.
Someone was nearby.
Where?
I quickly put the mana crystal into my inventory, drew my sword, and scanned my surroundings.
I was ready to flee at a moment's notice, stacking agility and movement speed buffs from 'Backward Evasion' and 'Sword-Drawing Stance.'
A moment of silence.
And then.
*Rustle.*
A sound came from near a tree, ten meters to my right.
*Swish!*
I quickly looked toward the tree and used 'Backward Movement.'
My body instantly moved eight meters back.
The current distance to the tree was eighteen meters.
The maximum range for a ranged class's attack skills was fifteen meters.
With the movement speed buff from Backward Movement and Sword-Drawing Stance active, they wouldn't be able to catch me if I ran.
*Th-th-thump!*
But my opponent was no pushover.
*Thwip, thwip, thwip.*
"Hah!"
In an instant, three talismans landed at my feet.
At the same time, my body froze momentarily.
This was a binding skill of the Yin-Yang Master class.
Unlike attack skills, binding skills could be cast from up to twenty meters away.
That confirmed it. My opponent was a Yin-Yang Master.
But to damage me, they would have to get within fifteen meters.
I couldn't run. That meant I had to fight.
Fifteen meters was not only the effective range for a ranged class's attack skills, but it was also within my own reach.
If I could see my opponent, target them, and use 'Charge,' I could break free from the bind.
The Swordsman skill 'Charge' was simply a high-speed approach in PVE, but in PVP, it could also be used to break binds.
My opponent was currently sixteen meters away.
Their face, hidden in the tree's shadow, was hard to see.
15.5 meters.
But I could clearly see their hand moving toward the talismans at their chest.
15 meters.
*Fwoosh!*
Before the Yin-Yang Master could even finish pulling out a talisman, my body broke free from the bind and instantly rushed toward them.
I could sense the Yin-Yang Master flinch in surprise.
*Fwoosh!*
*Clang!*
Having closed the distance in an instant, I cast Moonlight Slash to switch into Sword-Drawing Stance. The Yin-Yang Master countered, blocking it with their 'Shielding Talisman' skill.
*Swoosh.*
I immediately used 'Counterattack' to get behind the Yin-Yang Master.
I wouldn't give them time to react. Moonlight Slash was just an opener to switch stances.
Taking advantage of the brief moment the Yin-Yang Master froze after losing sight of me, I aimed 'Starlight Slash' at their back.
Huh?
Red... hair?
"Ch-Chris?"
"Ah...?"